Percy Jackson and the Lost Love
by va1ence
Summary: Percy Jackson's friend, Tom Sanders is tasked with protecting and escorting a possible demigod, Robyn to camp half blood. A seemingly simple task, or is it...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was a normal day when I woke up, just the green walls of my cabin and the dim light from the start of morning. I always woke up early, just to get a head start on training before breakfast. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself.

My name is Tom Sanders, I'm 15 years old and I am the son of a God! Most people have ordinary parents, as in two mortals. Me, I only have one mortal parent, and one parent is a god. Being the son of a god isn't all it's cracked up to be. I mean, it's not as if I seen my dad (Hermes) very often! We have this special camp for kids like me, where we learn to be fighters and heroes. After all, once we reach adulthood, we have to go into the real world and live 'ordinary' lives! You see, the problem with being a demigod, demigod being the technical term, is that we have all these monsters constantly attacking us as soon as we leave the camp! My story starts on a very ordinary day, as I was just describing.

I'd just clambered out of bed when I saw an old friend, Chiron the centaur; trotting towards me (he's a centaur, so he has the body of a horse!). Running alongside him is another friend, Percy Jackson. Percy is something of a demigod celebrity now, after he led us victorious last summer, but no one wanted to talk much about it, so my knowledge is vague! Anyway, on with the story; Percy and Chiron came over and explained their dilemma. There was a new suspected demigod over in England, where I used to live. The problem was, that all the protector satyrs, junior and senior, were off on missions collecting demigods, and Percy was needed back at the camp. So, as the most knowledgeable about England, they sent me.

Before I leave, Chiron hands me something that looks like a letter opener. "This is a letter opener, but with a twist. It is deadly sharp, and made of pure celestial bronze, so will be a significant weapon if needed. Here is its case; you don't want to be caught by it- it will cut you just as much as it would a Cyclops!"

So here I am, sitting in some boring maths class with a 'teacher' more incompetent than a Cyclops with concussion! Anyway, Robyn Bayliss is sat on the other side of the class to me, so no hope of connecting for the rest of this lesson. After maths was lunch. I took this opportunity to say I, just to introduce myself as the new boy and throw my name in just to see what happened. She didn't seem to show anything, but I have hopes that she'll remember me.

After lunch is English – I've only been in America for a few months now, and already my spelling and accent is changing! Luckily, I sit in front of my only friend in the school so far and – would you have it – Robyn! I turn around as soon as the work is announced and put in a comment about my A.D.H.D meaning I can't concentrate that long and my dyslexia means I can't write that much! I see Robyn giggle slightly and she makes a comment like 'oh my gosh! I have those disorders too!' a good sign, it means she could be a demigod. The only question is, who her immortal parent, if any is!

"So, what did you think of that maths teacher, Mr what's-his-face Gibbons, Tom?" chatters Robyn.

"Uhm, I think I would prefer a gibbon, thanks," I reply, jokingly, "why, is he new?"

"Yes! He only came today, just like you!" giggles Robyn. We didn't talk much after that, just a few passing comments about family and disorders. It turns out; she only has her father to look after her since her mum left shortly after she was born - another telltale sign of a demigod.

After English it was time to go home. I was living in one of the camp safe houses with Argus, the one hundred-eyed head of security! He's not great company, but is great for protection!

Sleep came easy that night, as I thought about how to reach Robyn and explain her situation so that she will come to camp with me. Luckily, her dad knows about our outreach mission and has agreed to help us if necessary.

The next morning, I wake up early as usual and get ready for a run before school. On the way to school, I meet Robyn and we start talking about things. Nothing important really, just talking. "So what's your family like, Tom? I realised I never asked." Asks Robyn, I just realised too, and I never anticipated anything like it – I was so engrossed in getting her to camp and getting her to believe everything I said, I didn't even look at her properly! It's only now I realise who her immortal parent must be. Her being looked after by her father narrowed it down a bit, but it was immediately obvious - she was the daughter of Aphrodite.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I can't believe I didn't notice this earlier. Robyn has long, crimson hair like the sunset, swept across in a fringe. She has a petite nose, a gorgeous smile and eyes green like grass. She blushes at the best of opportunities and never frowns. I can't see how she even looks at me! I am scrawny at best. Well, more like sinewy. I am light, but invisibly strong, wielding a sword particularly well. I can see by her unfaltering hands and pristine eyes that she would have to be an archer.

Later that day, I spend more time with her, until that horrid moment comes. We are sitting in class, when the new head, Miss Blake, calls her to her office. As soon as she has left the door, I hear her scream.

Immediately, I am up on my feet, letter opener in hand, drawn. I hear a faint disapproval of my reaction, but I eagerly dismiss it and carry on through the door. Immediately I can see why she screamed. In fact, I almost let out a whimper myself! Standing in front of me is a crouching Minotaur. This is a Minotaur bent on killing Robyn and anyone who gets in his way - namely, me.

Suddenly, the Minotaur stands up, and makes to start a charge towards us. Without thinking, I push Robyn out of the way and take the hit full on. I can just see Robyn running out of the school – not good.

No doubt there will be more monsters waiting for this. A few seconds later, I find out. Robyn screams louder than I have ever heard anyone scream before, turning into a statue, frozen by pure, untainted fear. Distracted by Robyn's screams, the Minotaur dips its head in agony, almost skewering me in the process. Taking the chance, I reach for my knife and stab the Minotaur in the side. Something singes her hair, and she suddenly comes back to life. She runs back here, as if forgetting the Minotaur completely, but finds nothing but a cloud of dust. Immediately, I am up on my feet and next to Robyn, ready for the next wave of monsters.

"What was out there? I heard you scream but couldn't see what you were screaming at." I ask.

"I, you heard that?" she replies, blushing.

"Yeah, distracted the Minotaur long enough to kill it."

"Is that what it was called?"Asks Robyn, "And where did it go?"

"When monsters die, they blow up in a cloud of dust and go to the underworld." I answer, almost forgetting she didn't even know what a Minotaur was – I'm not sure she knows about the underworld.

"Right, okay." she replies, somewhat confused."So how do we get out of here?"

"Same way you tried – I need to get a look at that thing, can you describe it at all?"

"Sure, it was like a big lion with a goat sticking out its neck and a snake for a tail. Oh and half the landscape was on fire, is that significant?"

"Ha! Just a bit, basically, that's a chimera - a fire breathing lion with a snake's tail and a goat's head. Follow me!"

We venture out into the open, where we see it for the first time. Immediately, we see the Chimera, and I realise why it didn't follow Robyn back into the school. It's bigger than the school! In front of us is a three-storey lion breathing fire on the surrounding countryside.

"How's your running?" I ask, with a matter of urgency in my voice.

"Okay, I guess."

"Right, we need to get back to your house."

"Why mine?"

"Robyn, I need to take you some place safe. There, nothing can come to attack you, and we'll train you how to fight monsters like these, but I _need _you to trust me. Can you do that for me?"

"Okay, whatever, just please help me!"

"Then let's run." As I say this, she instinctively dives out of the way of a huge pillar of fire coming from the chimera's mouth. I pull her up and we run faster that I have ever run before, spurred on by the charging chimera, towards Robyn's house.

We have to run from side to side to avoid the chimera's fire, but luckily, Robyn only lives a few blocks away from school. When we get it, I've called Robyn's dad, who packs a suitcase ready for us to take, and has called Argus to come and collect us one block down.

"Come with us, dad!" Robyn cries as he says goodbye. "I need you!"

"We need to get out of here, and draw the chimera away from him, he'll come see you in a week or two, but now we _have_ to go!"

"Will he be okay?"

"Only if we leave now" And with that, Robyn's dad closes the door and we rocket back towards the chimera.

As we pass under the legs of the chimera, Argus prompts me and I lean out of the van window, catching the Chimera's attention. Immediately, I climb back inside.

"So how do we get rid of the chimera?" I ask

"I don't know yet, maybe the heroes back at camp could kill it when we get there, but before then it would tear down half the landscape!" Argus replies.

"Right, so it's right here, right now then?" I say, starting to prepare my weapons. Argus gives me a long sword made of celestial bronze and a shield and helmet, all fireproof. The shield is sharpened at the edges, with a circular indent and hole, clearly designed to be thrown.

"I guess so."

"What? We've got to fight that _thing?" _retorts Robyn. I had almost forgotten she was there.

"Yeah, now how would you feel about a bow and arrow? Ever used one?"I ask, hoping that she wouldn't freak too much and leave me fighting it alone.

"No, but I guess it's fairly straight-forward? Just pull the string back and let go?"

"Yes, but just don't hit me."

As we get out, we are met by another pillar of smoke, barely missing us by an inch! I can see that this won't be an easy fight by any means…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Straight away, I tell Robyn to stay in the van and drive around the chimera, shooting from the back, with the doors at the side open. I run straight towards the beast, as Robyn shoots her first arrow she is surprisingly accurate and hits a paw just above my head, coming in for a swipe. The chimera recoils in agony, and can no longer put any weight on that paw.

Suddenly, the chimera rears up on its hind legs and I put my sword through the hole in the shield and crouch into the foetal position, under the shield. I stay there, coiled up under my shield for what feels like an eternity, before I feel a huge weight on my sword, followed by a far lighter shove on my shield. I grip my sword and shield more tightly than ever, wishing I had brought another set.

As the Chimera lifts its paw up, I can just see blood dripping down the hilt of my sword, and I know what happened. The Chimera tried to stomp me, but my sword stabbed its paw, going almost all the way to the hilt, and the chimera recoiled. Immediately, I knew I was a sitting duck for a wave of fire or something like that, so I pulled my sword out from the hole in my shield and ran, looking all the time for Robyn, to no avail.

"Tom! Help me!" I looked up and saw Robyn in the Chimera's paw, the arrow still stuck in its paw. Without permission from my brain, by feet decide that climbing is the best option. I put my sword and shield on my back and dive onto the Chimera's Paw. At this point, I realise that I will need something to get a better grip with so I pull out my sword and stab it straight into the Chimera's leg. Pure determination keeps me going until I get up the leg and onto the body.

I slide down the back of the Chimera until I get to the snakes head and stab it with all my might. When I realise that I won't be able to shop it off any time soon, I climb up the snake with my sword at wait. I'd seen it in a gallery. The Chimera was strange because it couldn't eat with the lions head, only breath fire. The Goat's head had no taste for mean, so the Snake's head would eat things out of the lion's paw.

As the snake head jerked forward, I embedded my sword up to the hilt in the jaw of the snake, before letting go and dropping onto the Chimera's paw with Robyn. I knew we were safe not, as the goats head couldn't reach to the paw, and the lions head wouldn't breathe fire on us for fear of burning its own paw! Still, I got to work, freeing Robyn from the claws of the Chimera. Robyn had her bow in one hand, which was free, but her other arm was trapped, so she couldn't use her bow, and I only had my shield and helmet. Instead, we swapped armour – I gave her my shield and helmet and I got her bow and arrows.

I immediately got to work, knocking an arrow and fired right into the Chimera's nose. Meanwhile, Robyn used the sharp edge of my shield to slice the Chimera's paw. Finally, it lets go of us, and we fall to the ground. I've been training for this moment since before I could remember, so I take the fall with my stride, doing my best to shield Robyn but not doing well enough. That just leaves me.

I grab Robyn's bow and shoot his hind paw. Then, finally, I grab my shield and use it for its second purpose – to be thrown – and throw it at the Chimera's chest. The shot goes perfectly, plunging a coin-shaped hole through its body and turning the thing to dust.

As I approach the wreckage, I see that it has left me a trophy and, by the looks of it, a trophy for Robyn, too! I retrieve all of Robyn's arrows and my sword and shield, before taking the two huge lion's teeth stuck roots up, into the soft ground, littered with some sort of grey snow – the remains of the Chimera.

As I climbed into the back of the van, Argus drove off as fast as possible, putting some distance between us and the resting place of the Chimera. After about half a minute of racing down the road, Argus stops and helps me to feed Robyn some ambrosia and revive her a little after the fall. "Get some rest." Suggests Argus, "It'll be a long journey home."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

By the time I woke up, I was at the airport, almost. Robyn had woken up with nothing but a sore ankle; perhaps I didn't do so badly at breaking her fall, after all! We talk a bit about the encounter and how every minute we spend away from camp half blood, we are in terrible danger, and that we should stay wary!

Once we were through security and on the plane, Robyn pointed out a huge, hairy man at the back of the plane, he was built like an ox and barely squeezed onto two seats! I decided that he should, if he was going to, make the first move. After that, we would retaliate. Ever still, I had my letter opener in my pocket, and Robyn had a new weapon: a ruler which, when pulled, would stretch into a bow and quiver of arrows! Basically, if he attacked, he would have a struggle on his hands.

It was only once we were in flight when I realised who, or what, the huge man was: it was a Centaur! I leant over to Argus and asked "why doesn't he attack us?"

"That's not what he's there for. They are trying to track you, and more monsters will come for you. I think the best thing to do would be to throw a few arrows into him and be done with it."

So we did. We readied our weapons then, in a minute of stillness, we stood up, turned around and fired a shot right where the Centaur was, emphasis on _was. S_traight away, we looked around, only to see the Centaur come charging down on us. Just in time, I jumped aside and pulled Robyn with me. Again, she fell hard, but was expecting it. She got up, and fired as shot after shot into the small of the Centaur's back. I knelt in front of her, and Argus threw me a shield to defend us with, but I knew those arrows could probably kill him alone.

Finally, she pierced the Centaur's thick leather armour and she shot a nerve in its back. As if it had been struck down by lightening, the Centaur knelt down on its hind legs, paralysed. Immediately and without any hint of thought, Robyn sent a shot into the Centaur's head, turning him to dust. Immediately, a stewardess ushered us back into our seats. We gave our weapons back to Argus, which he took with a nod and, exhausted; we slept the rest of the flight.

Once we got off the plane, we dumped out bags, carelessly in Argus' other camp van, parked meticulously in the airport car park. Exhausted, I left Robyn to sleep in the front, while I took the back, and thought about how to explain everything to her when she woke.

By the time we were well on the way back to camp, I had fallen into a troubled sleep, dreaming restlessly about a boy. I couldn't see who he was, but I recognised the surroundings as being the property line of Camp Half-Blood. I saw Robyn leap out of the camp van and sprint down to meet him, wrapping her arms round him like a viper. He followed suit, his strong arms holding her tenderly.

All of a sudden, 3 weeks passed, and they were the best of friends, when suddenly, something came out of the bushes and pulled him in. I tried to run to him, but it was like my feet were submerged in concrete! When Robyn scrambled after him, once she had recovered from the shock, there was nothing in the bushes! Whatever had taken Robyn's friend had disappeared, taking the boy with it!

I woke with a start, sitting bolt upright, just as we pulled up into camp. I pulled myself together, just in time to see Robyn jump out of the van and sprint to a strong looking boy, who I now recognised as Cam Moss, son of Hephaestus. He was from England, the same as Robyn and I, and he often spoke about how much he missed the place, and the one girl who actually meant something to him: Robyn.

My dream was coming true!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Immediately, I leapt out of the van, sprinted across the grounds and ran right into Mr D!

"What do you want, Saunders? I am very busy today, lots of menial tasks which could easily be shoved onto some first year. Say, you're only a first year, aren't you? How would you like to help me out with some little tasks?" Sneered Mr D.

"Sorry, sir - I need to speak with Chiron, it's kind of urgent." I protested, knowing that if Mr D wanted to give anyone – particularly a first-year – a job, you were going to do a job.

"Oh no, sorry, you can't just run into the big house, alike you own the place! However, I would be sure to tell Chiron right away that you need to speak with him if you were to help me out…" urged Mr D.

"Okay, sir, what do I need to do?" replied Tom, backing down but knowing, all too well, that Mr D wouldn't actually tell Chiron.

"Right, here is the list," he said, producing a small piece of paper about the size of a finger.

"Thanks, sir, I'll get right on it." I said, wondering how on earth I was going to read the writing, it was so small!

"Right, bye then." He said, darting back into the big house before I could protest. It took about 5 seconds to realise why. Suddenly, the list started to grow, I mean _really_, grow! In under a minute, the piece of paper, originally the size of a finger grew to about three meters long and about twenty centimetres wide. Scrawled on it were about a hundred different tasks ranging from scrubbing down the canoes to pruning the strawberry fields.

Three hours later, I finished scrubbing down the last canoe and finally crawled back up to the big house to talk to Chiron.

"Hey, Mr D, sir, I've just finished your jobs, can I go talk to Chiron now?" I asked once I saw Mr D again.

"Oh okay, whatever. But I should really give you more jobs before I let you in." replied Mr D, finally giving in.

Five minutes later I was sitting opposite Chiron, who was in his wheelchair to avoid straining my neck.

"I had a dream. In my dream, we arrived at camp, and Robyn dashed out and ran towards a boy. I couldn't see who it was, but in my dream, three weeks later he was pulled into a bush by a pair of unknown hands, and disappeared by the time Robyn pulled the branches back!"

"And how on earth would that happen? No one in camp wants to harm Cam, let alone kidnap him! Just relax and enjoy settling back into life here. I hear you had quite a battle getting Robyn back here, what happened, exactly," Replied Chiron, a look of doubt crawling across his face.

"Well, Robyn was called out by the new head, Miss Blake. Turns out Miss Blake was a Minotaur. I only just managed to get my letter opener out in time. Then we were chased back to the airport by a three story high Chimera. Then, finally, we were ambushed by a centaur on the plane home!"

"And you both still survived! Well, that is something. Who did you say you thought her immortal parent was, again?"

"Aphrodite."

"Yes, well… that would explain her attraction to a son of Hephaestus."

"Really, why?"

"Well, Aphrodite and Hephaestus are married, so it would make sense for their children to like each other, too," Explained Chiron, "Now, you go and get some rest, you've both had a rough time, and you need some time to rest."

As I walked out of the big house, I reflected on what Chiron had said, and the doubt on his face when I mentioned his dream. As I walked back to my cabin, I looked back at the attic. The light was on, and I could see movement: Chiron was getting a prophecy!


End file.
